Ratepayers may never know NRL cost

MATT HARRISMatt has been a reporter with The Observer since December 2016. He has a sports reporting background, previously working for the AAP and NRL.com. He now covers mostly general news and is the newspaper’s Council reporter.

GLADSTONE region ratepayers may never know the cost of bringing our maiden NRL match to town.

That's the message from the council after they forked out funds, but also relied heavily on financial assistance from Tourism and Events Queensland to relocate the Gold Coast Titans to Marley Brown Oval.

A sell-out crowd of 5135 saw the Titans defeat Manly Sea Eagles 32-20 in the Round 5 clash on April 8, with a significant number of those fans travelling from outside the region to watch the game.

But despite being an overwhelming success, Gladstone Region deputy mayor Chris Trevor said the council's hands were tied when it came to revealing its financial outlay.

"In the lead-up to securing the game we signed a confidentiality agreement with TEQ and we are very constrained in what we can or cannot say to the community," Cr Trevor said.

"The agreement required us to keep the costs confidential... If TEQ are prepared to waive that confidentiality then we can tell you how much it cost.

"We're in a very difficult situation that we are in breach of our agreement, which could have financial implications, if we disclose the content.

"If TEQ give consent to waive the requirement in relation to confidentiality I don't think we'd have any problems disclosing how much it cost us."

Gold Coast Titans arrive at Gladstone's Ocean Tyres to meet and greet with fans on April 6, 2018.Matt Taylor GLA060418NRL

Cr Trevor suggested the return on investment would be "two or three times" its outlay cost given the injection it provided to the local economy.

"We'd love to disclose how much it cost us - people lose sight of what a huge economic benefit this game provided us," he said.

"Not only did it promote the Gladstone region, it also brought hundreds of people who would have otherwise not come in to Gladstone and supporting our small business, booking up our accommodation providers, filling up our restaurants and takeaway shops in the lead-up to the game.

"There was a economic development that would greatly overshadow any amount that we have had to expend in getting the game here in the first place."